The Artist

In 'On Beauty and Being Just', Elaine Scarry defends the importance of beauty against its dismissal in contemporary academic discourse. She argues that beauty is not a distraction from moral and philosophical questions but rather enhances our awareness of them. Scarry posits that beauty causes a 'radical de-centering', making us recognize that we are not the center of the world, which is a precondition for just action and just communities. She also explores how beauty, through its symmetry and fairness, teaches us the importance of distributive justice and equality. The book challenges the view that beauty is superficial or morally neutral, instead suggesting that it has a profound impact on our ethical perceptions and actions.